Mandos' Champion
by Jimworm020
Summary: She once lived in a perfect world where everyone looked the same but that image shattered when she came to be, and they wanted her out. She was given a second chance, to live in a new world with others who were diverse and vastly different. she had the chance to become loved and feared, respected and revered. To be who she wanted to be.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

He sat there, on that tremendous throne of his. The one where it is only raised enough so that he can look you in the eye while he sits and you stand before him.

And I do stand before him, but in a second, if by his will, I will be kneeling, as I owe him my life and my loyalty in gratitude for his merciful kindness and compassion especially for one so different from him and those that surround him.

He looks so serious and rather imposing, watching me, eyeing my reactions to what he is about to say.

"You have been named and commended to do a duty for me, one that I bid you do for me with the utmost importance and speed."

"Of course my lord, whatever it is you bid me do, I will complete it with reverence and haste." I say seriously and while looking him in the eye.

We last a couple of minutes before laughing and smiling. After we calm down I ask "seriously Mandos? I have been allowed to go and have a second chance in this world? A chance to be accepted and do good?" He smiles at me kindly "yes. And I have found the reason that you didn't bond with anyone in your old world, it turns out that he wasn't on that realm but actually on this one, he is all the way over there, waiting for you to find him." His smile starts to turn sad and maybe a little remorseful "I know that this is a lot to ask of you, even though I know you have dreamt about it but please if you do find him before your duty is finished, you must wait to bond with him.." he holds his hand up for silence when I go to protest "I know, I know but this was the only stipulation for you being allowed to have a second chance. You must do your duty before bonding with him, I tried to fight this but I was over-ruled. Now, go my dear. You have a whole new world waiting to be explored and protected" he stands off his throne and walks her to the shores not long from his halls. "I will see you once again when you come back to these lands and should you hopefully have found your bond mate, and then I want to meet him too."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Mandos told me about a battle that would be happening when I got to Middle-Earth. A battle, between the free peoples of Middle-Earth and orcs, goblins and wargs. There were two particular he wanted me to kill, he said that they were causing most innocent souls to die and be sent to him. I was told to go to the East to a Lonely Mountain and there I would get the chance to fight and begin my mission. Mandos also said to look out for a Halfling… I thought that was strange, but I would keep an eye out.

My wings were keeping me aloft while I look for said orcish army and the 'lonely mountain'. I spy a large solitary shadow in the sunset and start flying towards, I then see the orc army is almost to the mountain and I see, in the distance, the armies of men, elves and dwarves. They've banded together for this fight.

I spot a good place to land and begin my mission. I summon my scythe and dive down and as I'm gathering speed, I summon some white flame around me and I land hard causing a shock wave of flame to knock down the surrounding orcs to even 30 metres away, most of them dying when the flame consumes their flesh.

Because I landed in a crouch to lessen the shock on my knees, I have to stand to my full height of 6 feet and 4 inches; with my feathers melting into the bone of my wings so only the bone is showing.

I hear a gasping sound and look down, an orc is still barely breathing just by my feet, as he is gasping his last breaths I swing my scythe and separate his head from his body. I pick up his head and I realise that its Azogs spawn, Bolg. I stand and look around before spotting Azog, I smirk before tossing the head of his son at him, letting it roll to a stop at his feet. He stares at it.

"I am the Champion of Mandos." I say with a clear, strong voice and I can hear the elves gasp at that.

"I have been named, for I am Death!" I state before running in Azogs direction and cutting the first line of orcs and goblins in half with one swipe of my scythe. I will my wings to become razor sharp and run into the thick of it, I hear the men; elves and dwarves shout out their battle-cries and join in the battle.

It continued that way, myself slashing, disembowelling and decapitating any orc, goblin and warg I see, making my way through the throng to get to Azog, wanting to end his life as fast as I can.

But when I do get to him, I see him standing over the last of the royal line of the Durin dwarves. The younger ones, not yet 100 years of age, trying to protect their elder with their own bodies even though they are littered with injuries. I lurched forward as Azog with a sinister grin on his face goes to swing his mace down upon the poor innocent souls, and I grabbed that mace. He looked at me with hate in his ice blue eyes and snarled before trying to stick me with the gruesome hook he has instead of a hand, he succeeded in getting it into my stomach before it got stuck, I looked at it before looking at him and growling "you can't kill Death." I swing my scythe and cut him straight through the abdomen. He looks at me with surprise and fear in his eyes, "Death kills you."

I look at the dwarves, and my eyes soften at the sight. The elder has passed out from blood loss through his numerous wounds and the two younger ones are looking at me with awe in their eyes.

I crouch down and shield them, silently willing my feather back as coverage, and it blocks out some of the noise of the battle. "Would you allow me to get your elder to medical attention?" I ask them and they both nod at the same time without even looking at each other. They move off of his body and I cradle him in my arms before calling them to hold onto me and I teleport us to a healing tent and lay him on the bed before teleporting back into the battle.

I arrive to see the eagles of Manwe and a giant Bear that can only be a skin changer. We fight for many more hours and when the orc/goblin/warg army retreats, I find myself following to kill many more alongside some elves and even the Bear.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I will my feathers back and fly back to the Lonely Mountain.

I find myself wanting to know what happened to the 3 royal Dwarves that I saved. Just before I can land, the voice of Lady Este comes to me. "Child, I give you my powers of healing, save all those that you can."

I land on a hill and start singing a song of healing and continue singing as I walk through the camps and between the tents of the wounded. As I look up, I make eye contact with an elf with eyes of silver in the moon light, his hair and skin glistens with the water he's just tried to cleanse himself with. I find myself unable to tear my eyes away from his and he does me a favour when someone calls his name and he looks away from me, I quickly duck into the tent that I left the three royals in, unwilling to get into another mesmerizing staring contest when I have duties to be doing.

I check on the younger ones first, now only humming my song as it helps to speed up their recovery. I get to find the elder dwarf, only to see he has a healer with him and his injuries are far worse than the younger ones. I frown and sit on the edge of his bed and move the stray pieces of his hair out of his face and start singing once again, watching carefully as his wounds begin to heal at a very fast rate. The healer watches with wide eyes before rushing out of the tent. When the wounds have closed and only the blood remains, I take a damp cloth and begin cleaning his hands, chest and face of not only his own blood but also that of the orcs he has cut down.

Several moments pass and I hear a rustle of the cloth at the tents entrance as I finish my song and finish the cleaning I took upon myself to do. A couple of elves, a wizard and the healer dwarf and 2 others have come into the tent.

"He had a string of madness in him, in his head and in his heart. Gold lust, I believe it's called" I say "it's gone now, he will never need fear the gold in that mountain, never fear for those around him while in a rage, or make irrational decisions because of some gold." I look at the older of the dwarves, "however, the Arkenstone, it needs to be destroyed as it will be the source for all madness in future kings if not dealt with now. The Kings Jewel, beautiful yet maddening." The dwarves shuffle out at that, going to do hopefully what I told them to. I look to the elves and conclude that they are father and son, I realise that the son is the one that I was so mesmerized by earlier. I do my best not to look in his eyes, but just can't help that little inquisition to. I look to the father and see a faint shimmer on the fathers left cheek, I click my fingers and the magic creating the glamor is gone from his face and body, revealing injuries from Dragon fire. I sigh before standing and walking over to him.

I go to put my hand on his cheek but he grabs my wrist in a tight grip with long slender fingers, I look to his eyes and see that he's glaring at me. I frown before saying "would you like my help? Or would you rather keep your injuries? If you want my help, then stop glaring" he looks at me inquisitively before his frown disappears and he lets o of my hand. "That's what I thought" I murmur to myself. I look at the work the previous healer has done one the wound, "whoever your healer was did a good job, it could look a lot worse than it does. It also makes this easier." I say as I concentrate magic into my hand but hesitate before drawing out the dragon magic.

"This may hurt and will look a lot worse than it is, it may start bleeding again too." I say.

I start to draw out the magic and quickly begin humming to help with any bleeding, I quickly gather some magic and press it to his face to help the skin re-knit together, I close my eyes and start to sing softly and I hear gasps when I quickly finish the healing by rubbing my thumb over his closed eye to restore the sight that was lost. "Done." I say, and he opens his eyes as I wipe the blood away from his face, he gasps before his eyes begin to water. "Excuse me." I say before walking out of the tent and striding into the elven part of camp, and spying an elven tent where a healer has just walked out of, shaking her head. I get curious and walk into it only to see a red haired elleth, taking her last breaths.

"I can save you if you wish it?" I ask her, she swallows and nods and as I go to heal her body, I feel something foreign in her stomach region, so I focus some magic there to find out what it is.

I breathe in sharply and look at her in wonder and smile in joy. She goes wide-eyed and I continue on with my work beginning to find that her body wants to be healed which is always a relief. I start humming and send her into a recuperative sleep so I can heal her efficiently.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Legolas' POV.

She is a mystery. All I know is that she is the Champion of Mandos and she beheaded Bolg when she landed and then tossed his head to Azog. The Battle began after that, I heard that she had killed Azog and saved the Royal family of Durin, the next thing I know, this dark skinned woman is singing whilst walking between the healing tents and the injured injuries are healing miraculously. She looked me in the eyes but before I could say anything to her, someone called my name and I was forced to look away and when I looked back, she was gone. I went to look for my father after that but he was heading to see how the royal Durins were, so I joined him, and as we walked into the tent we found the dwarves didn't have a single wound on them and she was cleaning blood off of Thorin Oakensheilds chest! I felt quite possessive and jealous at seeing that. She then healed father of his dragon fire wound and left after doing that. It seems that this woman never seems to stay still.

"Who is she father? She single handily killed Bolg and Azog and then healed all those she was in the vicinity of?" I say, quite baffled by her.

"I don't know Legolas" he said while looking at his reflection and touching his face seemingly reassuring himself that she did heal him.

We heard someone groaning before… "Where is she!?" Thorin yelled. "Gone to heal someone else I presume" Gandalf says. Thorin starts to get out of bed before the healer dwarf Oin pushes him back down onto the bed, "you're not well enough Thorin!" Oin yells loudly, "I feel fine!" Thorin says loudly back "theres nothing wrong with me. How are Fili and Kili?" "They are healed also; she healed them before coming to heal you." Thorin settles down when he hears this, and silence encompasses them all for several moments.

"She saved us." Thorin says. We all looked at him and he looks back at us before he continues on, "I was just about unconscious with my injuries and Fili and Kili were trying to protect me but Azog was standing there, just about to crush us beneath his mace when she just grabbed it and sliced him in half with her scythe. I remember her saying something just before she killed him 'you can't kill death, death kills you' I passed out then" "she brought us back" Fili suddenly says "she gathered you up in her arms, told us to hold on and brought us hear within a second" Kili says backing up his brother.

Everyone is silent once again when she walks back into the tent. She looks at everyone before her gaze settles on kili and she smiles a beautiful smile and I let out a small gasp. I don't notice it, but my father is watching me before flicking his eyes in the womans direction before back to me, watching as my eyes mist over in wonderment and affection and his eyes widen a fraction in surprise realising that I had unintentionally just bound my soul to hers and all she had to do was accept it and he would have a daughter-in-law. He lowers his head in acceptance knowing he now cannot use me to settle agreements with other nations in the form of marriage contracts.

All I can do is watch her as she rests a hand on Kilis shoulder, "there's someone you need to see and another that you need to meet officially" she says to him before steering him out of the tent. We all look at each other before following them, Fili at the front as he doesn't want to be separated from his brother for too long especially after that battle where they almost lost their lives.

They walk to the elven part of camp, right into Tauriels tent, but when we go to enter, she stops us and tells us to wait outside.

Deaths POV

I walk back into the tent to see Kili holding Tauriels hand even though she's still asleep.

"What's wrong with her?" he asks me without looking away from her. "She's fine now and I gave her some good news, the same news I'm going to give you if you'll take my hand."

He does with a curious expression and I hold them over her belly "feel what I feel" I whisper gently and he closes his eyes in concentration. "Hear what I hear" as I nudge his senses gently and he gasps as he can hear a small heart beat coming from Tauriels stomach. I smile as he laughs in happiness.

"A little one?" he whispers. "Your little one." Tauriel whispers gently as she opens her eyes while a smile lights up her sweet face.

I walk out of the tent leaving the couple to talk in privacy. The rest of them are outside still but I walk past them all not acknowledging them even though I can feel those silver-blue eyes follow me, begging me to talk to him.

I go to collect my scythe and trinkets before walking back to Kili and Tauriels tent and I clear my throat letting them know that I am there "you know, Delilah is a beautiful name for a girl, just to give a suggestion." Tauriel smiles gently at me "anyway, I am taking my leave now and I wanted to wish you the best of luck and if you ever needed me, then just cry Death and I will be there." I say and turn around to leave, "Wait!" Tauriel cries, I stop and turn around to face her again "take this, please, as a token of gratitude. I know it's not much but I have to thank you in some way" she says whilst giving me her beaded bracelet, one made out of mithril with a leaf design.

"it shall be treasured." I say with a nod, when I wrap it around the staff of my scythe and I leave the tent and walk to an empty hill, just knowing that he would be following.

I stop at the crest of the hill, with the moon shining down on me. "You're leaving?" he asks, "I must. I have a duty to finish my mission as I promised Mandos that I would. That this mission becomes my first priority over anything else." I say without looking back at him. I'm not a fool, I felt his soul reach out for mine and mine wants to accept it, but I know I have to finish my mission. I hope he understands.

"I can't accept your soul just yet Legolas. I want to but I can't at this time. I also can't see you until it's done otherwise I run the risk of staying with you and my mission goes unfinished." I say.

"Close your eyes then" he says and I do as he says before I hear him come closer and face me before cupping my face in his large, rough, warm hands and he kisses me. He kisses me so sweetly and softly that I can't help but kiss back. When he pulls back, I promise him "that won't be our last kiss" and I teleport away to begin my own quest.

Legolas's POV

She's gone in the next second and I can't help but feel lonely. I walk back into camp and into father's tent and as I sit down, I sigh.

"Congratulations and I am sorry." My father says.

"What?" I question feeling confused. "Congratulations on finding your other half and I'm sorry that she has a duty to do for the Valar." He clarifies.

"Oh… Thank you, I guess." I say, before looking at the ground. "No matter Legolas, you will continue your training with me instead of with the other instructors." He says "Why?" I ask with a frown on my face "because, with a woman as strong as that, she will need an equally strong if not stronger ellon by her side. Especially since she is the Champion of Mandos and favoured by Este. She is the rarest beauty I have ever seen. Skin as black as night with a blue sheen to it in the light. An absolute exotic beauty, you couldn't have chosen better son, she's almost as beautiful as your mother." Legolas couldn't help smiling at that.

"You'll see her again. And when you do, you'll knock her off her feet." Thranduil says, happy that he got a smile out of his son. "We'll start when we get back home." Legolas only nods.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_60 years later…_

As I am just cutting the head off of this lot of orcs, I hear my name being called by Lord Elrond. I quickly check around, making sure that no more orcs of this group are alive and teleport to Elrond.

"You called?" I ask sarcastically. He looks at my clothes with an eyebrow raised, "ah yes well, you called when I was chopping the head off of the last orc of a group of 57. It was quite easy today to be honest" I say before going thoughtful. "Actually, lately the orcs and goblins are getting quite more active and excited as of late." I inform him. He nods at this piece of information, looking as though he face just aged 100 more years just before my eyes.

I look around at the half circle of males facing Lord Elrond. Some men, Gondorians, old Rohans, a Ranger, a couple of Hobbits, one old and one young. The Wizard Gandalf, some Dwarves from the Lonely Mountain, some elves (whose idea was it to seat the dwarves and elves next to each other?) all blonde haired and blue eyed. I go to look back at Elrond, when a pair of silver-blue eyes capture my attention, he's gazing at me with love and adoration. This handsome ellon, that I haven't seen for 60 years, is looking at me with eyes that make me feel like a giggling teenager again.

I lock eyes with him and smile a gentle smile. He gets up only to kneel at my feet and press a kiss to my hand, "we meet again Prince Legolas, maybe this is an omen that my duty is nearly finished." I say while looking at him affectionately.

"I certainly hope my lady, for it has been 60 years and my soul still yearns." He replies. I move for him to rise with a smile. "Then we can only hope for mine yearns also" I say. Elrond clears his throat, "ah yes, sorry Elrond." I say not embarrassed or apologetic at all as Legolas kisses my hand while looking in at my eyes once more before walking back to his seat. As I walk to, what I assume is my seat as nobody is sitting in it already, my clothes change into a shimmering black floor length dress, my hair let down to flutter in Rivendells permanent summer breeze and all the blood being banished from my person. I hear some gasps coming from the surrounding council but pay no attention to them and as I sit down, I look to Lord Elrond "You have summoned me, tell me why I am here." He nods to my request and addresses the council.

"Strangers from distant lands… friends of old… you have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite" he looks at the elves and dwarves as he says this "or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate… this one doom…"

He looks at Death sadly before looking to Frodo

"Bring forth the ring Frodo."

He stands shakily before walking to the plinth and puts the ring onto it with a solid clink, looking relieved as he does so and walks back to his seat.

"So it is true" a man named Boromir says, shocked.

"Sauron's Ring! The Ring of Power!" Legolas states

"The doom of Man." A dwarf named Gimli says grimly.

Boromir is watching the ring with a greedy and possessive gleam in his eyes and Deaths eyes harden when she sees this. "it is a gift… a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay… by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe!" Death can't help herself and she scoffs at him.

"You have something to say Witch!?" he demands angrily and the entire council looks at her. Her eyes harden further, "it's already manipulating and using you and you're not even holding it. On average, the army of Gondorians kill about, what, 10,000 orcs coming from Mordor per year?" she asks and at his nod she continues. "On average I kill 10,000 orcs every 4 months and I am but one woman. I have heard of your father, the steward of Gondor. Denethor, who eats like the king he isn't while the citizens of Gondor starve and their buildings fall into disrepair. Who favours one son over the other and because he is a bitter old man, he feels justified to send his youngest into dangerous situations with insufficient resources for the men in young Faramirs command. Oh yes, I've heard plenty, seen many an innocent die at the hands of those sullied by blood."

He opens his mouth to challenge her again, before being interrupted by her. "Don't go challenging me again boy, you wouldn't fair well against death." And before the entire council eyes, her personage flickered between the one she is normally and the personification of Death they all imagined, skeletal with a long hooded robe and scythe, before she flickers back into view. "I am not a soldier, Steward-to-be. I am a champion, sent to do a duty for the one who has chosen me. I do not kill for honour but a promise to keep the innocent from dying before their time. If you challenge me, you challenge Mandos and I don't think you want to do that no do you? No? Then shut up." She says annoyed with the bigotry of Man.

He ignores the last part of her statement and continues on as if she hadn't spoken "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy… let us use it against him!"

"You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone… it has no other master." Says Aragorn, the Ranger Chiefton and heir to Gondor's throne.

"And would a mere Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir asks dismissively. Aragorn says nothing and Boromir dismisses him but Legolas stands, angry at how the arrogant man has spoken to both Death and Aragorn. "This is no mere Ranger. This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance." Boromir looks sharply at Aragorn "Aragorn? This is Isildurs heir?" he says distastefully. "And heir to the throne of Gondor." Legolas says proudly. "Havo dad, Legolas" says Aragorn

"Gondor has no king, Gondor needs no king." Boromir states this whilst glaring at Aragorn.

"What an idiot." Death says in a voice only heard by the elves, Legolas can't help but smirk.

"Aragorn is right, we cannot use the ring" As Gandalf says this Boromir deflates.

"You have only one choice… the ring must be destroyed." Elrond states.

The council goes completely silent. Gimli looks around before saying loudly "well… what are we waiting for?" and he quickly jumps up with his axe in hand, Death turns her gaze upon Frodo, watching his reaction to Gimli swinging his axe before bringing it down on the Ring watching as it shatters upon impact. She watches him flinch and raise a hand to his head as if in pain.

Once Gimli picks himself up and sits down on his seat, looking at the shattered remains of his axe in bewilderment. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom… Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came." He takes a breath and looks each council member in the eye. "One of you must do this."

The Courtyard is silent once again as everyone takes in the statement, unfortunately, Boromir is the one to speak up first.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor. It's Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is an evil there that does not sleep and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren waste-land, riddled with fire, ash and dust… The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this… It is folly."

Death can see Legolas is about to jump up and say something defiant that will most probably start and argument, so she speaks up before him, cutting through the silence.

"You would forsake the worlds you live in because you believe that doing the right things is folly?" asking in a tone that is soft and gently inquisitive, wanting to understand why.

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!" Legolas jumps out of his seat and proclaims loudly.

Gimli takes the chance to argue with the elfin prince and stands to say "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Other Dwarves rise to side with him, seeing this; some other elves stand to side with Legolas. "And if we fail? What then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of and ELF!" Gimli booms, sparking the majority of the council to start arguing. Aragorn is calmly watching the proceedings, Elrond's in disbelief and Gandalf just stands and joins in the argument but Death murmurs to herself "I hate politics" before moving her gaze to Frodo, once again watching what he will do, watching as he tears his eyes away from the Ring and saying in a voice that no-one hears but Death reads his lips and stands gracefully before he can say it again she glides in his direction, stopping shortly at the plinth with the Ring on top of it. "Stop it, I already hate politics enough. So stop making it worse." She can sense it trying to reach a tendril out to her but she just glares at the Ring in contempt and continues walking to Frodo. She kneels to get to his level and says to him, "I feel that the only way my duty will be finished is by following you. So I will, I will follow you and protect you to the best of my ability for I can sense that you are an innocent soul that has been chosen for a destiny you never thought you would have." She looks at him in the eyes realising just how blue they are. "You have my scythe." She stands and turns to the still arguing council before turning to Frodo, "did I mention how much I hate politics?" He giggles a little at her question and she turns to the council before saying in a clear, commanding tone. "Enough with your squabbling. We are here to try a determine how to help the rest of our world and yet you are arguing like children because of old hurts and bitter rivalries." She lays her hand on Frodos shoulder and looks at him encouragingly and he takes a deep breath before saying

"I will take the Ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way."

Gandalf steps forward at this, "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

"If by my life of death, I can protect you, I will." Aragorn vows as he kneels before Frodo "you have my sword." "And my bow." Legolas says as he steps forward and takes his place next to Death. Gimli steps forward, no doubt because he didn't want any pointy eared elf to outdo him "And my axe!"

Boromir looks at them all "you carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the council, he Gondor will see it done." Frodo feels a little awed by the fighters wiling to protect him.

"Here!" Sam pops up out of the bushes, scaring some of the council members. "Mr Frodo's not going anywhere without me." Elrond just looks amused. "No, indeed… it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is invited to a secret council and you are not." Merry and Pippen shout out before darting towards the group. "Oi! We're coming too! You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" says Merry "Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission… quest… thing…" Pippen trails off. "Well that rules you out Pip." Merry says.

Elrond looks thoughtful. "Ten companions, you shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." "Great! Where are we going?" Pippen asks with a smile.


End file.
